“Are we there yet?”
“I-It’s almost here!”
The guild-affiliated Pathfinder trembled and managed to reply under Lydia’s repeated urgings.
Her vivid red hair and eyes were strikingly different, and thanks to her bikini armor, her chest jiggled aggressively with her hurried strides.
Though she was short, the sight of her shouldering a massive greatsword was undeniably intimidating.
Indeed, she possessed the might comparable to walking heavy armor, and today, she was radiating a fierce aura unlike her usual self.
To be precise, she was unable to control her aura and was spilling it everywhere.
The reason was simple. A request from the guild. Hunt down five high-ranking mages from the Mage Tower, and capture the divine relic and top-notch magic stone they were guarding, fleeing like a madwoman.
A trace of Morgana Deathweaver had led to the conclusion that she was heading to the second floor of the labyrinth.
That’s right. The very same second floor where Jonah and Benny were adventuring.
Most who caused trouble in Pangrave headed for the labyrinth.
The city’s security system was remarkably robust, and even if they managed to escape, there were few places to hide.
After the Demon God War a thousand years ago, livable areas on the Pan Continent shrank dramatically. There was no place to hide from prying eyes.
Thus, they headed for the labyrinth, particularly to the layers above the third floor, where maps were incomplete.
The labyrinth was vast, intricate, and a dangerous environment for both the pursuer and the prey.
But if they were afraid of danger, they wouldn’t have gotten themselves into this mess in the first place.
To them, it was a land of growth and served as a natural trap to thwart their pursuers.
After all, it’s no coincidence that the largest crime syndicate on the Pan Continent, One Who Devours the Twilight, hides within the labyrinth.
However, they were heading toward the completely mapped-out second floor without the necessary skills.
This indicated that Morgana wasn’t just fleeing to escape the labyrinth.
And Lydia knew, after long companionship with Benny, that what Morgana desired most was her party member.
Benny was in danger, and so was Jonah, who was at her side.
The ominous thought compelled Lydia’s mind.
To ease the frustration swirling in her chest, Lydia swiftly cut down a kobold that appeared just then.
Swish.
“Wow…”
The monster vanished without a chance to scream. It was natural for a high-ranking adventurer active on the seventh floor to effortlessly defeat a monster on the second floor.
Yet the speed at which her blade moved was astonishing, even in the eyes of a formally recognized Pathfinder with experience on the fourth floor in tracking and disarming traps.
Of course, Lydia thought the moment of admiration was a waste.
“Focus on finding the way. Which path should we take at the next fork?”
“Ah, yes! You need to turn left!”
The Pathfinder hurriedly traced Morgana’s trail. Watching this, Hippolyte, a high-ranking adventurer who had also received the guild’s request, clicked her tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Why are you picking on that poor guide? You seem extra sensitive today… frustrated?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Come on. Even if you’re a noble knight, you must have some desires like everyone else. If you’re too shy about it, leave it to me, I can satisfy even a first-timer.”
“…Morgana is probably aiming for Benny.”
“Oh, um. Benny, that little spell caster who always hangs around with you? The one who carries that disgusting slime in the shadows?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm. If a companion’s in danger, that makes sense. But you shouldn’t worry too much, right? That little one may be small, but he’s quite capable among spell casters.”
“Hippolyte, Morgana isn’t you. She’s probably doing this reckless act because she’s confident she can take us down before we get close… and it’s not just Benny who’s in danger.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Hippolyte blinked, confused.
With her wild hair, draped in the golden lion hide, and roughly clothed, wielding a thick club, she was a renowned warrior but lacked knowledge of rumors due to living for the fight.
So, Lydia decided to explain a bit more.
“I’m training someone these days.”
“Like a disciple?”
“No. If I had to say….”
My little lord.
The words almost slipped out, but Lydia swallowed it and found a more suitable term.
“A candidate for a partner. And possibly a candidate for Ellie-senpai’s husband?”
“Is it that serious?! And he’s a guy?!”
Even though adventurers on their journey through the labyrinth grew fast, it took a long time for a rookie adventurer to stand shoulder to shoulder with a high-ranking adventurer fighting at the front lines.
Yet here was someone deemed a candidate for a partner. It wasn’t possible unless he was a genius among geniuses.
And to top it off, he was someone that Ellie herself had eyed. If something happened, Pangrave would certainly face upheaval.
Though quite some time had passed since retirement, the reputation of a hero still held weight.
Hippolyte scratched her head and let out a deep sigh.
“Ah… if it’s like that, there’s no helping it. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll have to give that guide a potion we’ve been saving.”
“I’ve already given her the sensory expansion potion I have.”
If Lydia thought it might be helpful for an exploration, she would buy it. Of course, she carried potions for temporary buffs.
However, Hippolyte didn’t seem to back down one bit; instead, her expression grew even more spirited.
“It’s not a cheap one from the shop. It’s Nemea’s potion.”
“…You really want to use that?”
“Yeah. Just remember that this is a debt owed.”
“Thanks.”
Nemea’s potions, crafted by sorceresses, were many times more effective than anything on the market.
They were elusive, even if you had money, and were not given to just anyone since they didn’t reside within Pangrave.
Using it in a life-or-death situation just to find Lydia’s companion faster was an immense favor.
But Hippolyte was the type of woman who acted that way.
Put positively, she lacked hesitation; put negatively, she was simple-minded. Yet, true to the title of a barbarian warrior, she acted with great decisiveness.
Holding up the rough glass vial from her waist, Hippolyte called for the Pathfinder, who was scanning the ground intently.
“Hey, guide. Drink this…”
“I-I found something!”
“Uh?”
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s suddenly unusual activity all over the second floor! And everything points in one direction! Even though she carefully hid her traces, she seems unable to cover the consequences of her actions!”
“Uh, right. I’m glad you found it quickly.”
Feeling awkward, Hippolyte put the Nemea potion away. Turning to Lydia, she exclaimed in a hurried voice.
“Where do we go?”
“Monsters! Go towards where the monsters are gathering! Just follow me!”
Unlike her cautious movements until now, the guide took off down the corridor at top speed.
It was an astounding pace for an adventurer specializing in agility among the fourth-floor adventurers. Of course, that was but a fraction compared to the close-combat high-ranking adventurers, Lydia and Hippolyte.
After a few leaps across the ground, they caught up with the Pathfinder. The three of them then tore through the labyrinth together, weaving through the chaos.
The more they ran, the larger the gathering of monsters became. Yet, the moment these monsters collided with Lydia and Hippolyte, they exploded into pieces as though shattering.
No one could block their path.
How many times did they run? Were all the monsters in the area summoned? Now the corridor was cramped, with monsters unable to move an inch.
Lydia and Hippolyte struck down the monsters blocking their way, breaking them into pieces including the magic stones, opening the path.
The moment they cleared the debris.
-Krooooooo!!
Before them stood a magic-infused white cube. Blocking it was a grotesque mass of shadow.
Hundreds of eyes, dozens of mouths, and countless wriggling tentacles—an immortal monster that tore apart every creature that rushed at it.
Shadow. Driven by the madness akin to the ultimate monster, it attracted various monsters.
Of course, none of them could contend with the Shadow.
The monsters of the second floor couldn’t resist its sharp fangs and splitting tentacles and were reduced to flesh morsels.
The Shadow continued to butcher monsters, swallowing these corpses along with their magic stones.
But this was merely a secondary goal. Just like flies gathered, it only swatted them away.
What the Shadow was currently focused on was…
Thud!
-Kieeeeeeeeeek!!
To smash the cube in front of it and reunite with its half-corporeal form.
Well, to Lydia and Hippolyte, who were unaware of these circumstances, it appeared as though the Shadow was rampaging indiscriminately outside Benny’s control.
“…Hippolyte.”
“I know.”
Instinctively both pointed their weapons at the emerging threat. Their respective auras blazed like wildfire.
They thought it was a precaution against an unforeseen circumstance. However, the Shadow possessed a very simple behavior pattern that reacted to others’ interventions.
-Groan….
To face the incoming threat, the Shadow turned its body.
Resembling a short, squat human figure that oddly mirrored Benny’s features, hundreds of its eyes began to squirm and fixate on Lydia and Hippolyte.
In the face of that eerie sight, Lydia tightened her grip on her greatsword and whispered.
“Jonah… Benny…”
What on earth was happening that made the Shadow rampage alone?
Lydia tried her best to reject the worst-case scenario forming in her mind as she ignited her aura even more fiercely.
Like flames devouring everything in the world. It was as though to inscribe her resolution upon the world itself.
“I’m coming now.”
Lydia’s declaration marked the beginning of a battle that would shake the entirety of the labyrinth.
*
Inside the cube.
Jonah, whom Lydia desperately sought, was currently…
“Ah, the front side!”
“Wrong! It was the backside!”
Was playing a coin flip direction game with Benny.
“You lost, so you have to take off one more piece of clothing!”
“Ugh… is this right? Are you sure?”
For the record, the rule was that the loser would strip.
